Our Child
by Carley9
Summary: The heat of battle can cause one to do weird things. Hermione must deal with the concequences from the night after the Final Battle against Voldemort. HG/SS, HP/GW, RW/OC, OC
1. Prologue

**Prologue** – _Giving up Ariadne_

Hermione slowly rocked in the chair as she held her pregnant belly. She gently smoothed the robe over where her child lay. Any day now, she was due to have a child that was the creation of a one-night stand. It had happened in the aftermath of all the partying, and revelry, after the defeat of Voldemort. The important thing is that Harry lived, even though some lives were lost. She had come through virtually unscathed, as had a few others. But some lives were lost. It still hurt to think about Dumbledore and McGonagall, but they saw that all of the students were well protected.

It had been four years since she had graduated, and he hadn't changed a bit. He still snapped at all of them as if they were first years, and he didn't look as if he had a proper bath in weeks. She was so grateful to be alive that night; she didn't want anyone to be alone. So, she had disappeared into the dungeons and accosted him. She didn't exactly know what had come over her as she dragged him to the table in his lab. She murmured whispered words of desire, and kissed him fully on the mouth. He had whispered back in kind, and answered her kisses with his own. It had been a nearly silent affair, until she screamed at her release and he answered her with a grunt. She left before morning, not wanting to experience or see his shame first-hand.

Hermione hadn't taken the proper precautions, and a few weeks later, as she stared at the Muggle pregnancy test, she knew exactly what the consequences would be; a child. She did the only thing a girl in her situation would do; she called her best friend. Between the two of them, they developed a plan.

"'Mione, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Gin. She's just not letting me sleep."

She and Ginny Potter, née Weasley, decided that she would pose as their surrogate mother. Ginny and Harry had been trying to have children ever since they had gotten married, and that made Hermione's pregnancy opportune. As long as this child didn't look like HIM, everything would go according to plan. She had plans to continue her studies in France, and she was going to go to Japan to study under the oldest living potions master. She was going to travel, and live life, but now, she was going to give up her child.

Hermione stood up and reached for Ginny's hands. Giving them a gentle squeeze, she said, "I think it's time to wake Harry, and go to St. Mungo's." She gingerly reached for the small of her back, and rubbed small circles, trying to soothe the aching muscles there. Ginny's hands soon joined hers, and she gave a little whimper of pleasure.

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm sure everything will be fine. One of the Midwitches is a Muggle-born, so she knows all the complications that could happen," Ginny said as she took Hermione into her and Harry's room. She shook Harry, and smiled at the way he sat up, and blinked sleepily in the dim light coming in from the hallway. She gently tussled his hair and said, "Harry, it's time."

He threw the covers off, and grabbed for his glasses. "Why didn't you wake me sooner? We should have taken her when the pains first started!" He grabbed for a robe and a suitcase that was sitting behind the door. He stopped, and looked at the two women giggling at him from the hallway. "What is so funny?"

"Harry, you have enough time to change into some proper clothing," Hermione giggled. "Oh!" She placed her hands on either side of her abdomen, and winced as a contraction passed. Slowly breathing in and out, she added, "You may want to hurry though." The child was kicking hard against her ribcage; she began to slowly breathe in her nose and out her mouth.

Ginny grabbed flue powder and said, "St. Mungo's!" She put Hermione into the fireplace, and waited until she left. She grabbed a bit for herself and told Harry, "I expect to see you there soon. We will be in the maternity ward."

When she was set up in a room, Hermione asked, "How could I let myself be so stupid? Why didn't I do the right thing and just leave that man alone?"

"Because you're an angel of mercy," Ginny said. Then she sniggered, "That and you were hot for him and his body." She ducked when Hermione threw a pillow at her. "Come on, 'Mione. Both you and I know better."

"I don't want to admit it." Hermione sucked in a breath, and slowly panted it out. She fell back and said, "I don't want to do this ever again. Be grateful that I'm doing this for you."

* * *

Ariadne Medora Potter was born at 12:35 in the afternoon on August 1st, exactly nine months after the fall of Voldemort. Her birth mother left a note for Ginny, and left after she saw her daughter for the first time. She was leaving Brittan to continue her studies. Nobody knew when she would be back, but they knew that when it happened, it was going to be something spectacular.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**_This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is here at titled "Both Your Houses"_


	2. Chapter 1

**If you have read this chapter before, I'd advise reading it again. Lots of changes, I promise!**

_I'd like to thank Hechicera for looking this over and helping me make the necessary changes. All mistakes are mine._

* * *

**Chapter One** – _First Impressions_

"Ariadne Potter!"

Ariadne grimaced, and pulled herself up short at the booming voice of the current Headmaster. He wasn't a friendly man, but he could be fair. Well…most of the time. She turned around to begin giving her excuse for being out so late, and saw a brown-haired woman with the Headmaster. He didn't look too pleased with the woman, but he never looked pleased with anyone. She quickly bowed her head meekly, and asked, "Yes, Headmaster?"

She heard his sigh of disbelief, and his exasperation, as he said, "This is Professor Granger. Since it is late, and I have more pressing matters, I need you to escort her to her rooms. She is staying in the old potions master's rooms in the dungeons."

Ariadne lifted her eyes, and saw something briefly reach the headmaster's eyes. Was it recognition? Or was it something else? As the headmaster drifted away, Ariadne tilted her head, and watched him questioningly, getting a soft bark of laughter from the woman.

"Hello, Professor Hermione Granger at your service," the woman said, as she extended her hand. "It seems Headmaster Snape neglected to tell me about the students that live here after the session is out."

Ariadne shook the hand in front of her and said, "It's just me and my cousin Thomas living here. Thomas's father is the professor of Care of Magical Creatures." She placed her hands behind her back, and started toward the dungeons. As she walked, she said, "My father is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He was instrumental in the fall of Voldemort, but you probably already know that."

Hermione smiled and ruffled the girl's hair. "Of course I know who he is; I stood next to Harry, along with Ginny and Ron, when the final battle occurred. I'm your godmother, Ariadne." She reached for the girl's hand, and smiled. "If memory serves me correctly, I should be heading toward the dungeon stairs, where all of my trunks are that the nice house-elves are unpacking for me, as we speak. Why don't we find your parents, and have a nice cup of tea." She looked down at Ariadne and saw in the girl's face similar features to her own; and the absence of another that would have marked her parentage for her, whether she wanted it or not. "What does your mother do, Ariadne?"

Ariadne smiled and said, "Lately Mum has been helping Uncle Ron care for a litter of kneazles. I guess they were orphaned when their mother wandered too close to Bones, Uncle Ron's dog. It didn't help that Aunt Reyna had a huge memorial service for the mother, and made Ron bury her!"

By the time they reached her parents' set of rooms, there was the start of friendship forming. Ariadne knocked, and entered the sitting room. Harry and Ginny were already drinking tea. "Mum, look who's come to tea."

Ginny looked up, and her face broke into an instant smile. She set her teacup down, and hugged Hermione fiercely. "I didn't know you were actually coming back," she said, as she held Hermione out to look at her. The last eleven years hadn't changed her physical appearance a whole lot. She still had the curly bushy hair, and the soft cinnamon colored eyes. "In your last letter you said, 'Snape be damned!' if I remember correctly."

Hermione sat down, and answered, "That I did say." She grabbed a spare teacup, and poured herself some tea. She stirred some sugar into it, and added, "The funny thing is, the next day I met the git on my way to my lab; he was very convincing. He went as far as to say that he would ruin my reputation with my current employer. But, that is that, and I am here." She took a sip of her tea, and asked, "Have you given the letter yet?"

Ginny picked up her teacup, and said over the top of it, "We were waiting for the sorting, but I have a good idea what house she is going to be in." She gave a sideways glance to Ariadne, and continued, "She found it a few weeks ago, about the same time your letter arrived. She may not look like him, but she certainly picked up a few less desirable of his traits."

"Does she know about…?"

Ginny nodded her head. "We sat her down and had a very long conversation about what had happened and why her father was never told. We discussed why it was important for you to tell Snape about her, even though she wanted him to know right away."

Hermione set her cup down, and turned to Ariadne. "Do you have any questions for me?"

Ariadne nodded her head, and sat quietly for a moment. She was smart, and she knew what every thing in the letter meant, but she didn't want it to be necessarily true. She studied Hermione, and bit her lip as Hermione would do when something was troubling her. She didn't tell anyone that she had taken it, but her Mum knew right away. When she had the talk with her Mum, there was only one thing her Mum wouldn't answer her. She lowered her head, and asked, "Why did you give me away?"

Hermione sat in silence for a moment. She had been expecting to answer this question some day, hoping that Ariadne would have been older when she was finally asked. "I was very young and had never planned to have a baby. Since I had never planned for it, I wasn't financially stable enough. I was just starting as an apprentice and had no income. I knew that you would be much better off with Harry and Ginny than you would have been with me; or your father for that matter."

Ariadne began to protest, but Harry interrupted her. "Ariadne, it was what all of us thought was best at the time." He reached for her, but was disappointed when she pulled away. It was hard to remember that she was eleven now. He sighed, and looked to Ginny for help.

Ginny smiled gently at Ariadne, and said, "We wanted to wait until you were in Hogwarts before we told you your true parentage. We did it so you didn't think you were never wanted. You were the answers to our prayers because we were having problems having a baby of our own." She held out her hand, and Ariadne grudgingly took it. She pulled her daughter into a hug, and said, "Not for one minute have you not been as our own child."

Ariadne withdrew from the hug, and looked at Hermione. Now that she knew what to look for she could tell she had inherited most of her features from her mother; while the shape of her fingers and her hair was from her father. She quizzically cocked her head to the side, and tried to puzzle out why her father had never been told. After a few moments, she asked, "Why did you never tell Headmaster Snape?"

Hermione drained her teacup, and patted a place beside her. Once Ariadne had come and sat beside her, she said, "I want you to promise me that you will not tell him, until I do so. After all, it is only fair that I be the one to take the punishment of his actions." Ariadne gave a slight nod in indication of her promise. Hermione sat back, and looked her daughter in the eyes. "Severus Snape was not a very nice man. He has mellowed in the last few years, but when you were conceived, he was still an unpleasant man. I understand that you are friends now and can't see what it was we saw, but I just couldn't give an infant to a man I thought could possibly hurt it."

Ariadne just sat there, and stared at Hermione in a wide-eyed gaze. "Headmaster Snape would never hurt a baby!" she exclaimed, as she tried to reconcile the man she knew with the man Hermione was telling her about. She stared at the ceiling, as she scanned her memory for anything that would prove him to be the bad man Hermione thought he was. Finding none, she was still in shock.

Hermione looked at Ginny and asked, "Is he really that different now?"

Ginny nodded and said, "He gets along really well with all the children, especially Ariadne."

Ariadne looked to the other adults to see if what Hermione was saying was true. She turned to Harry and asked, "He's not as awful as the older students say he is, is he?"

Harry looked at his daughter and sighed. "He was very unpleasant to me when I was a student, but now that the war is over, he isn't as bad as he used to be." Harry shrank back a little when his daughter glared at him for saying something bad about one of her friends.

Hermione watched as the smiles lightly tugged at Harry and Ginny's mouths, and she shook her head at the girl's antics. In order to lighten the mood a little, she said, "Are you certain that she is going to be a Slytherin? Right now she's acting like any hot-headed Gryffindor."

Ariadne glared at Hermione, and said, "Professor Snape said so, and he was head of the Slytherins for a really long time."

Hermione softly laughed, and said, "I know. After all, he was my professor, as well as your parents', long before you were born. He prided himself in getting the pick of the crop, when it came to students' being in Slytherin." Hermione grabbed a small sugar biscuit, and took a bite out of it. As the sweetness melted on her tongue, she could see Ariadne impatiently tapping her toes. "He had a habit of overlooking some of the brighter students, me included."

"Why would he do that? The last time he was talking about you, he was saying you were a brilliant witch."

Hermione laughed out loud at the statement. It would be like Severus to berate, and bait, her while she was a student, and sing her praises when she was on another continent. She hugged Ariadne to her, and said, "He will never admit to it in my hearing."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two** - _Hermione's Secret_

A soft rap on his door made him cringe. He had been the Headmaster for nearly eight years now, having taken over when Flitwick could not adequately do the job. Since he had taken the position, there had been a new problem-finding a professor to deal with the demanding task of teaching potions. Most of the potion masters lived in Asia, and he had heard of a young potions mistress-whose praises had been sung far and wide by Junichiro Kumada, a great potions master in his own right-and he was only mildly surprised to know that it was Miss Granger, a former student of his.

The rap was a little more insistent, as the occupant was obviously waiting for him to give an assent. A wry smile crossed his lips as he said, "Enter, Miss Potter."

The door swung open as Ariadne Potter entered the room. She was wearing robes this time, and he was mildly surprised that she had left her hair down. Since he still had a partial liking to Slytherins-and he could spot a potential one miles away-Ariadne was a welcome presence in his office. She sat in a chair in front of his desk, and took one of the licorice spikes out of a bowl on his desk. She let her legs rock, and she looked at him quizzically. She then asked, "Has Professor Granger spoken to you yet?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "No subtlety this morning, Miss Potter? I am most surprised; you may become a Gryffindor yet." He smirked at her impatience, and picked up his reading glasses. He began scanning the parchment in front of him, and very nearly jumped when she kicked his desk. He looked up, and saw the self-satisfied smirk spreading across her face. He looked over the top of his glasses, and said, "No, she has not spoken to me yet."

Ariadne tugged at a strand of her hair in frustration. It had been nearly a week, since she had learned he was her father. She had assumed, that Professor Granger was going to let him know, and by soon, she thought she had meant tomorrow. Ariadne stood, and headed to the door. She turned, and said, "Thank you for your time, Headmaster Snape." As she exited, Severus heard her say, "Good morning, Professor Granger."

Pretending not to notice her presence, he sipped from a teacup, and continued to pour over parchments. Hermione entered the office, and stood before the fireplace. She gave him a few moments to finish his business, as she watched the fire. If it had not for the fact that he had come to Japan personally, she would assume that he was indifferent to her. She turned toward him, and asked, "Is this how you make your colleagues feel welcome, Severus? Ignore them, and leave them to their own devices?"

He poured her a cup of tea, and brought his, and hers, toward the fireplace. He sat in a chair that he had refurbished into his colors. Handing the teacup to her, he asked, "Is this a social or business visit?"

She carefully sipped from the cup, and contemplated her answer. It was surprising what eleven years could do to relationships. She no longer felt nervous in his presence, and the physical longing had died down somewhat. "A little bit of both, I am afraid," she finally answered, looking away from him.

Severus watched her profile, and was surprised that he still liked the look of her. Her face had finally lost the drawn look that was on everyone's faces near the end of the war, and it looked like her time abroad had done her some good. He took off his reading glasses, and said, "I have never known you to remain close-mouthed about anything, Hermione."

She gave a small laugh, and looked back at him. The firelight played on his strong features, and she gave a small smile. "You are right, Severus, but time has a way of changing things." She twisted a thin gold band on her right hand out of nervousness. "I wanted to talk to you about a student entering Hogwarts this year. I believe that Ariadne Potter was already here this morning."

Severus gave a small chuckle, and said, "Miss Potter usually visits every morning. She almost reminds me of you, with out the annoying habit of raising her hand." He casually sipped from his cup, as Hermione glared at him. A small smile tugged at his mouth; he knew she was holding her anger in check, and it amused him.

Hermione willed the tick in her cheek to stop, and said, "There may be another reason that she reminds you of me." It was her turn to sip her tea, as he contemplated her statement. She silently gave thanks to the stars that they still had a month to be settled with everything. "She has been very impatient with me, after she learned a bit of information when I arrived."

Severus watched as she twisted the band on her finger again. He set his cup down, and took hers. She was staring at the fire again, and he placed one of his hands on hers. She gave a muffled gasp, and stared at him. He lightly stroked her hand, and said, "What ever did she learn, Hermione?"

Hermione could feel her courage start to leave her, and she knew that this was why she had been having trouble talking to him. These days he seemed nearly human. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and whispered, "She found out, that she is our daughter, Severus. Yours and mine."

He pulled away from her, and sat back heavily in his chair. He brushed his hand over his face, and gave her a hard glare. This whole entire time he had a child, and she had never deemed him fit to tell him! "I do hope you have a reasonable explanation for why, I am only now finding out about my daughter." He rose from his chair, and pulled her out of hers. "Was it enough that you made me feel things I had forgotten I could? Or did you think you were doing me a favor by not telling me?"

Hermione pulled away from him, and glared at him through slits in her eyelids. She wanted to hurt him physically, but with words would do. "First off, I did not want _you_, of all people, to be lonely. I will admit it, I was lonely too, and it is my fault that I found myself in the situation I did. However, I didn't know how you would react about a child; for all I knew, you would have held something against her, and I didn't want to have her hated, just for being a child."

He grabbed at her robes, and shook her. He felt in a full fury, and he was not going to drop the subject anytime soon. "So what if you didn't tell me? You should have at least told her!"

She pulled away, and said, "I gave her away with the intention of never seeing her again. I was going to be the godmother who lived far away. I gave her to Ginny, and I have regretted it ever since." She collapsed into a fit of tears on the floor, and pulled her robes tight around herself.

Ariadne flew into the office, and let the door slam into the wall. She didn't exactly understand what was going on, but she knew what tears like Hermione's meant; she was hurting badly. She stood behind her, and wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders. It was odd to think of someone, like Hermione, hurting like this. She looked up at her father, and saw him intently watching her; then he left the office, his robes flying out behind him. She wanted to go after him, but her mother needed her more.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is here titled "Both Your Houses"

What do you think will happen now? I await your answers :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three - **_Definitely a Slytherin_

Ariadne sat in the uncomfortable silence, sitting between her two sets of parents. Severus stood at the fireplace, and Hermione in the chair closest to him, while Harry and Ginny sat on a small sofa across from them; Ariadne watched the silent by-play between all of the adults. Harry would squeeze Ginny's hand in comfort, and Severus looked like he wanted to strangle Hermione. Ariadne stood, and threw her hands into the air. She paced between the two sets of parents, and every once and a while, she would find one to glare at. She stopped, and said, "Why don't you say something? I'm going crazy trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do."

Ginny opened her mouth, but closed it when Severus turned to gaze at Ariadne. She was surprised to see the hurt, but not to see the anger. He had trusted Harry and her, and they had primly kept their mouths shut about Ariadne.

"Come here, Ariadne." Severus held out his hand, and waited until her hand was clasped in his. He searched the girl for features that may have mirrored his. Her hair was black and thin with no curl in it whatsoever, and her lips were thin like his, but she had deep cinnamon-colored eyes, and her mother's small nose. Sparks of intelligence flickered through her eyes, and he could feel that her fingers were shaped exactly like his. He let out a breath, and looked at Ginny when he said, "I want to acknowledge her as mine."

Ginny stood, and shouted, "No! I don't want that! She has been mine for eleven years now, and I don't want to give her up." She jumped when Harry laid a hand on her arm, but she shrugged him off as she continued, "Don't you patronize me, Harry Potter! You can't say you have thought of her as anything, but your own. Especially, after everything we have gone through!"

Harry stood, and placed an arm around her. He said to her, "I have thought of her as my own, but Severus just learned of their relationship yesterday. He has always treated her better, even better than the Slytherins, and he has always been far more tolerable of her ways, than we ever were. I think, he always had some sort of inkling in the back of his mind that maybe she was his."

"But Hermione gave her to us!"

"Hermione never informed me of the child. If she didn't truly want her, she should have told me, and I would have taken her. I was never given that choice; neither was Ariadne. I would like to spend some time with her as her father, and I would like to have her name changed to Snape." Severus looked down at Ariadne, and continued, "However, as much as I want these things, I think the choice is ultimately Ariadne's."

Ariadne turned to Ginny and Harry. She could tell they were upset, but there were some things she needed to find out about her parents; that is, her biological ones. She stepped over to her father, and asked, "Away from the students, would I be able to call you 'Dad'?"

Severus took her hand, and said, "You can call me anything you want, but in public, you need to give me the proper respect, as your headmaster." He looked at Hermione, quietly standing apart from the group, and leaned to whisper in his daughter's ear. "However, you would need to extend the same courtesy to your mother."

Ariadne let go of his hand, and went toward Hermione. Severus watched as they whispered together, and the tears streak down Hermione's face. She wrapped Ariadne in a loose hug, and Severus could see the mischievous glint in his daughter's eye. He put a hand on the young girl's shoulder, and asked, "Have you made your choice?"

Ariadne pulled away, and said, "On one condition."

Hermione wiped at her eyes, and asked, "What would that be?"

Ariadne glanced at Ginny and Harry, and she gave them a small watery smile. They wouldn't like this.

"Well, young lady?"

Ariadne smiled at her father, and said, "Both of you have to live with me." She added, for clarification, "You and Hermione both have to live with me."

The silence following her request was deafening.

* * *

Author's Note:  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is here titled "Both Your Houses"

Another Note:  
I had origannly planned on being fairly regular with updates, but real life got away from me. My job ensures that I have almost no free time, therefore no writing time :) However things should (hopefully!) becoming regularly updated.

Next Time:  
Living Together


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four** - _Living Together_

* * *

"How many boxes of books do you own?"

Ariadne glowered at her father and asked, "Why do you sound surprised at the fact that I have several boxes full of books?" Ariadne grabbed another box from her pile in the sitting room and carried it into her bedroom. She could hear her father mutter, "Why did she have to inherit that trait from both of us?" She neatly placed all the books on the bookshelves; placing them alphabetically by subject, then further alphabetized by author. She went back into the sitting room and grabbed another box, this time hearing her father grumble about her mother taking up lab space.

"I heard that, Severus!"

Ariadne smiled to herself as she finished unpacking things and setting it up the way she wanted it. In a week she would be in her dorm, but she would be sleeping here on the weekends, just as if she were still with Ginny and Harry. It was still a little hard adjusting to the fact they weren't her parents; however, having the Headmaster as your father had to have some sort of perk, somewhere.

"Ariadne?"

Ariadne looked up from what she was doing and saw her mother standing in the doorway. She had avoided Hermione and she knew she wasn't being fair, but this was mostly Hermione's fault. She set down one of the gifts Hermione had sent in her years in Japan, and turned to Hermione. "What do you want?"

Hermione shrunk back a little from the hostility coming from her daughter and said, "I was letting you know that it's time for lunch. I was wondering if you would like to join us."

Ariadne sighed and pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. She walked to Hermione and placed her arms around her mother's waist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

Hermione hugged the little girl back and said, "It's going to be hard for all of us. We just have to take it one day at a time." She let go of the girl and glanced back toward the dining area. Severus was meticulously setting the place settings on the table and Hermione had to fight to keep the smile off her face. He had complained about the lack of formal place settings at her flat when the formal interview was completed in Japan. He pulled out both her and Ariadne's chairs, and remained standing until they were both seated.

Lunch was eaten in near silence, all three lost in their own thoughts. Both Hermione and Severus were startled when Ariadne asked, "So, how did I come to be here?"

Severus smirked and said, "You came to be here through my willingness to employ Professor Potter. He insisted that his family live with him."

Ariadne glared at him then turned to Hermione, asking, "When did you decide that you just had to be with my father?"

Hermione wiped her hands on her napkin. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. However, her answer was not what Ariadne wanted to hear. "Since your father and I have yet to discuss anything pertaining to your conception, you will have to wait until then." When Ariadne began to protest, Hermione continued, "Since you found out about your parentage before your father did, it is only right that he hear it firsthand how I came into his laboratory." She turned her gaze to Severus and said, "I don't know if I am ready to do that just yet."

Severus watched as she excused herself from the table. He then said, "Whenever you are ready, Hermione, I will be ready to listen."

He smiled as he heard the door to the laboratory slam.

* * *

Hermione tried to repress a shudder of longing as she leaned against the door she had just slammed. Her desire for Severus had been on a low boil since he had come to her in Japan. She wanted him with a vengeance, but had managed to keep it in check until he had left. She didn't know how she was going to be able to share living quarters with him and live with this longing. She still had dreams of his hands caressing her skin, his lips ghosting in their wake...

She pushed herself away from the door and began setting up her equipment. If she kept herself busy, she wouldn't be able to think of Severus or his hands.

* * *

"Do I even want to know what that was about?"

Severus looked at his child. She was a very good reminder of why he had to keep his desires in check. It had only been the one time and she had been conceived. He smiled at Ariadne and said, "Probably not." He noticed the assessing gleam in her eyes and asked, "What did Ginny Potter tell you about procreation?"

"She didn't."

"Then who?"

Ariadne saw the confused look on her father's face and answered, "Aunt Reyna." When he still looked at her blankly, she continued, "Uncle Ron's wife. She had already had the talk with her younger sister, so Mum—that is Aunt Ginny—sent me her way."

Severus thought for a moment as he formulated his next question. "How do the Potters feel about your calling them Aunt and Uncle?"

Ariadne shrugged. She toyed with the remaining food on her plate and answered, "Aunt Ginny is having a hard time adjusting. Uncle Harry just says that if you had raised me, he would have been Uncle Harry anyway." She let out a sigh. "Uncle Harry also says to let Aunt Ginny be, she's dealing with a lot of things at the moment." She looked down at the mess on her plate and asked, "May I be excused?"

Severus nodded his head and watched her leave the table. He thought about the Potters—not exactly his favorite pastime—and wondered why Harry wasn't making more of a fuss. He would have to wait until later to seek him out, but he would do so.

* * *

**Author's Note**:  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

For the next chapter: How are the Potters and their extended family handling everything? Scenes between Severus & Harry, Ron, Hermione & Reyna, and Ariadne & Thomas


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five** - _Conversations_

After dinner that evening, Severus sought out Harry. He had questions that needed answering. Hermione and Adriane were already off visiting Ron and his family. He finally found Harry out by the Quidditch pitch, lazily circling the perimeter on his broom. Severus shouted up at him, "Potter!"

He smiled as Harry jumped and nearly fell off his broom. Harry flew back down toward him and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Severus looked at him for a moment and softly asked, "Harry, what is bothering you?"

Harry ruffled his hair and let out a sigh. He and Severus had called a truce several years earlier when Severus had offered him the Defense job. He and Ginny had been attempting to have children again, but when it didn't happen, Harry had breathed a sigh of relief. But now... "Ginny's pregnant."

Severus' eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded and sat down on the slightly damp grass. "We found out a few days ago. She's six weeks along." He looked at Severus and could feel tears pooling in his eyes. "We had finally given up and were thinking of adopting. Our original plan was to wait until Ariadne got into school because she was a right handful when she was younger. Then...well, this happened."

Severus sat down next to Harry. "So that's why you told Ariadne to let her be."

Harry nodded. "Ginny's going to have to be on bed rest. She got pregnant right after we got Ariadne, but lost the baby. The Healers couldn't give an explanation as to why. So, we decided to wait." He let out a shaky breath. "Ginny hadn't been feeling well lately, so she went to Pomfrey to see if it was the flu. She was so happy, but I was so scared. What if I lose her? I've already lost Ariadne, what if I lose Ginny too?"

Severus awkwardly put an arm around Harry in an effort to comfort him. He quietly said, "No matter what happens, Harry, you will always have Ariadne and will always be welcomed in our home."

They sat in silence for a while then headed into the castle. No more words needed to be spoken, but Severus could tell Harry was relieved.

* * *

Hermione was looking out the window of Ron's 'hut' as Severus and Harry were heading inside. She sipped at the tea she held in her hand then turned to Ron. "Severus must be a glutton for punishment if he willingly hired the 'Golden Trio' to work with him."

Ron smiled and looked out the window. Reyna was in the back, tending to the litter of Kneezle kittens. As she stood, he could see the slight swell of her abdomen. Before the end of the week his other two children would join him as would Reyna's younger sister. He turned back to Hermione and asked, "Did you bring the gifts you promised for Richard and Eleanor?"

Hermione grabbed two bundles out of the pocket in her slacks and reversed the charm on them. She handed them to Ron and said, "They're not to get them until their birthday. The other charms I placed on them will make sure there is no peeking."

Ron smiled and placed the bundles on his table; he would take care of them later. "Did Ariadne ask where she came from yet?"

Hermione nearly dropped her teacup. As she saw the sheepish smile spread over his face she said, "She asked you first, didn't she?"

The door opened and Reyna entered. As she entered, she said, "No, she asked me. I told her that she was supposed to hear it from you. She attempted to butter me up, but as Evil Aunt Reyna, I was able to direct her into some other activity. She is outside talking with Thomas." Reyna brushed a dark strand of hair out of her eyes and said, "I hope I didn't overstep my bounds by giving her the Talk."

Hermione set her cup down and began worrying with her ring. "Not at all. I'm not sure how I would do it. I still have to tell both her and Severus my real reason for being in that dungeon."

"You mean it wasn't because you were hot for him?"

Reyna smiled sweetly at her husband. "Who said that she still isn't hot for him?"

Ron looked between his wife and his blushing best friend. He felt a small wave of nausea in his throat and said, "I don't want to know." He slowly edged himself out of the room. "I think I'll check on Tom and Ari."

Reyna smiled after he left, finally turning to her companion. "Did you know that I turned down the Divination position?"

Hermione's laughter rang throughout the home.

* * *

Thomas and Ariadne were sitting on a small hill that looked into the forest. Ariadne's knees were pulled up to her chest as she rested her chin on them. She looked at her 'cousin' and asked, "Do you know the story?"

Thomas shook his head. "Dad's still trying to explain 'the birds and the bees' to me. Mum laughs every time he stammers, and then asks if she needs to make him cue cards."

Ariadne sighed. "Do you think they're embarrassed?"

Thomas picked up a blade of grass them asked, "Who?"

"Hermione and Snape."

"Don't you mean Mum and Dad?" Thomas plucked another blade of grass.

Ariadne shook her head. "Besides, I don't think I can call them that if they can't tell me what happened. I mean, how do I know that they're my parents?"

"You look like them; more then Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry, anyway." He grabbed a handful of grass this time. "I think Aunt Mione is embarrassed, but doesn't ant to show it."

She looked at him and grumbled, "Hufflepuff."

Thomas gave her an unholy smirk. He grabbed his grass pile and said, "You say that like it's a bad thing. You never know, you could turn out to be one." Ariadne's mouth opened in an 'O' of surprise and Thomas threw his grass ball inside. He jumped up and ran back to the hut, yelling, "Score!" over his shoulder.

Ariadne's frustrated scream echoed over the grounds.

* * *

**Author's Note**:  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

**Author's Note (Part Two):**  
Who knew that when the muse struck that it would strike hard. The last chapter took a couple of weeks to figure out where it needed to go, and this one just poured out of me. I completed it in two sittings. :)

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six** _- In The Dark_

Later that evening, sometime around one, Hermione realized that she couldn't sleep any more. She didn't want to wake Ariadne–Ginny had mentioned in passing that the girl was a light sleeper–so she stayed in her room and paced. She thought back to the night she had shared with Severus and tried to remember what had sent her in his direction.

She had respected him and his fearsome intelligence. She was in awe over what he would force himself to do over and over again in the name of the Order. She was attracted to the dark personality and the image that was Severus Snape. But that wasn't why she had found him out and had her way with him. It was the entire package that had enticed her, and if she was honest with herself, it still did.

She stopped pacing and decided that maybe some tea would help. It wouldn't be hard to slip out and flue the kitchens for some tea. She pulled a robe over her pajamas and left her room. She was startled to find Severus sitting in front of the fire, a tea service on the coffee table.

He handed her a cup and said, "Harry told me you had many a sleepless night when you were deciding what to do with Ariadne." As she took the cup from him, he added, "He said that chamomile worked the best."

She murmured a quiet thank you and sipped her tea. She let some of the warmth seep through her, then said, "Well, tonight's ponderings weren't about our little menace." She gave a small smile, then said, "I was thinking about how I'm going to tell you why I was there that night."

Severus shook his head. "If I never find that out, it won't bother me." He reached out and took her free hand. He softly slid his thumb over the skin of her hand, sending chills up and down her spine. His voice was very soft as he said, "I'm far more curious as to why you left before I woke."

Hermione set her cup down. She looked at him then turned away, looking into the fire. "I was afraid."

"Afraid of me?"

She felt his hand still and tighten. She turned to face him, her eyes glistening. She moved her hand under his and said, "No, I was afraid of myself and how I would have reacted that morning."

He slowly slid his thumb across her flesh again. "And how would you have reacted, Hermione?"

"Like this." She closed the space between their faces and lightly brushed her lips against his. When he didn't pull away, she leaned in and used more pressure. She felt one of his hands slip into her hair and pull her closer. She let out a small sound of pleasure and pulled back a little. When she saw the flash of confusion, she pulled out of his embrace. She didn't want there to be muddled feelings this time around. She picked up her teacup and sipped. "Why do we always seem to be drinking tea when we have a revelation?"

Severus let out a small sigh and sank back into his chair. He watched the firelight play over the planes of her face and the blush rise in her cheeks. He would leave her alone for now, but he would get an answer later. "Maybe because you feel in a confessional mood when there is tea around." He tapped his chin with a forefinger and said, "I should have offered you tea when you were a student. I would have found about more of your schemes that way."

Hermione had just taken a mouthful of tea when he made his comment. She swallowed it in a rush, choking on it. Coughing and with watering eyes, she turned to glare at him only to find him trying to suppress his laughter. She stood and lightly smacked him on his arm. "I'm not going to take this abuse. I'm going to bed."

Severus began laughing in earnest as she huffed back to her bedroom. He pulled out his wand and cleaned up their mess. He went back to his bedroom, never seeing the little figure crouched in the shadows watching them.

* * *

A few moments later, after she was sure both of her parents were in her room, Ariadne came out of her hiding place. She wasn't able to see her father's face from where she had been hiding, but she had been able to see her mum's. She had seen that look on Ginny's face when she and Harry would share a kiss when they thought she wasn't looking. It was a look of love and it seemed that both of them were in the dark about their feelings. She rubbed her hands with glee. She was going to have fun when school started.

_Operation: Get a Brother_ was about to begin.

* * *

**Author's Note**:  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

**Another Note:  
**This was a short transitional chapter to finish up the day. The next chapter will deal with the Sorting as well as another surprise. Let me know what you think. :)


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **- _Stolen Kisses_

* * *

The day everyone was set to arrive by the Hogwarts' Express started out as a gloomy one. However, that didn't dampen Ariadne's excitement. From the moment she woke, she was filled with questions; lots and lots of questions.

"Did you know Richard, Eleanor, and Josephine came back last night?"

"Did you know Aunt Reyna said I could have one of the kittens?"

"Did you know that I'm trying to drive you crazy?"

Severus raised his gaze from his paper, and looked at the girl. She was practically bouncing up and down in her chair. He returned his gaze to his paper and asked, with a touch of laughter tingeing his voice, "Do you want to go visit the Potters and Weasleys?"

Now literally bouncing in her seat, she answered, "I finished my breakfast. May I go?"

Severus turned the page and said, "You may go, if your mother says that it works with her schedule."

Ariadne gave a groan and sulked to Hermione's room and knocked on the door. Upon hearing a muffled, "Come in," she entered her mother's room. Hermione was sitting at a vanity, trying valiantly to tame her hair. She gazed at her daughter in the mirror and said, "I'm glad you were blessed with your father's hair." She set her brush down and patted the empty spot next to her on the bench. "So, what is all the excitement about?"

"Aunt Reyna said I could have a kneazle kitten." She batted her eyes in the traditional 'I-really-want-one-can-I-have-one' manner.

Hermione smothered a small chuckle. She brushed some hair away from the girl's face. "As long as your father says yes, I will not have a problem." She watched Ariadne jump up from the bench and do a little happy dance. "However, you have to wait until it is no longer bottle fed."

Ariadne gave an excited nod. "I will! I'll take really good care of it too." She gave Hermione a hug and asked, "Can I go see them now? I finished up my breakfast and Dad said I could go if you said it was fine."

Hermione shooed her off, saying, "We'll meet in Uncle Ron's hut for lunch." Hermione heard Ariadne scamper through the suite and the door shutting closed behind her. Hermione smiled to herself and continued to attempt to tame her hair.

Severus leaned up against the doorjamb and watched her complete her morning care. He watched as she secured her curls by pulling the sides of her hair away from her face. He watched the light bring out the golden streaks in her brown hair. After the kisses they had shared the night before, he wanted to walk over to her, pull the pins out of her hair, and run his fingers through it. However, he needed to keep this professional. He might be a father now, but he was also the headmaster. Wouldn't do to think about letting the former Head Girl earn her title the other way. He pushed away from the doorway and headed to his room to take a long cold shower.

Hermione—unaware of Severus's condition—finished getting ready for the day, and headed down to the dungeons to check the supply room, to double check that she had enough supplies to last her until the winter holidays. As she slowly made her way down, she watched the house-elves doing last minute checks to make sure everything was perfect for the incoming first years. As she stepped foot into her classroom, she was hit by an overabundance of memories. As she breathed in the scents, she felt someone breeze past her. She gazed toward the desk and saw Severus standing behind it.

Severus had nixed the shower when he saw Hermione leaving their rooms. He didn't know why he felt compelled to follow her, only that he did. As her gaze turned to him, he walked out from behind the desk and walked up to her. He circled her until he was behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He felt the shudder of lust race up her spine. He placed a small kiss on her neck. He straightened and said, "This brings back a lot of memories." He lowered his nose to her hair. Her hair smelled of lavender and hyacinths.

Hermione leaned into his thin frame. She knew he affected her, but she had never realized that it had been this much. She could feel heat pooling into her belly and tried to fight it. She needed to be professional... However, if he kept touching her like that she would melt into a puddle of goo.

They stood in silence until a house-elf popped into the room. "Missy Snape is looking for you. Professor Weezy is too."

"Thank you, Toddy." Severus watched as the house-elf popped out of the room before pulling himself away from Hermione. He silently gave thanks to the wizard that decided that baggy robes were the way to go. He watched Hermione face him and said, "We should go. Our daughter is sending house-elves for us."

Hermione exited the room before him, wondering what was happening.

* * *

She had rushed from her room to go outdoors; she had been forbidden to enter the Great Hall this afternoon because the house-elves had wanted it to be a surprise. So, she had gone to her uncle's hut and played with the kittens. Aunt Reyna had said she would be able to take the kitten she wanted in another week or two.

Reyna had just watched her in that quiet way of hers and broke the silence by asking, "What is going on in that mind of yours, Ari?"

Ariadne continued to pet the kittens, ignoring her aunt. She was a little surprised when her aunt said, "You know that Tom won't help you."

She turned to the dark-haired woman and said, "Josephine will help me. She helped you and Uncle Ron get together." Ariadne knew from previous experience that keeping anything from her beloved auntie could end up in said auntie asking questions at the worst times. As long as Reyna was kept in the loop, she wouldn't spill the beans.

Reyna sat back in her chair and absently rubbed her stomach. She thought back to how her little sister had helped her snag Ron, then to Severus and Hermione. She winced at how badly that type of approach could be bad for the pair. Then she thought to how it could help. "If you're going to pull this off, you're going to need more than Josie's help. You're going to have to recruit both Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron to help." She snapped her fingers and called for Toddy. When the house-elf appeared in front of her, she said, "Please find Professor Granger and the Headmaster, please. Tell them that Ariadne and Professor Weasley are looking for them."

As the house-elf popped out, Ron entered their home. He saw the gleam in both Reyna's and Ariadne's eyes. He pulled up the chair and said, "Let me in on the details so I don't blow your plan up."

* * *

Hermione and Severus slowly walked toward the Weasley's home on the grounds, close together but not touching. Before they reached it, Hermione stopped Severus, asking, "Why did you do that today?"

He turned toward her and watched the afternoon sun shine through her hair. He looked into her eyes and said, "I was merely continuing what you had started." He brought his hand up and caressed the side of her face. He watched as she leaned into him and he felt a warmth surge through him. He jokingly said, "If we keep this up, we won't make it to the Weasley's for lunch."

Hermione looked into his eyes and said, "I'm hungry for something else." She grabbed fistfuls of his robes and yanked him toward her. She stood on her tip-toes and brought her mouth up to his. She had stunned him for a moment, then he began kissing her back. Their tongues battled for dominance in their heated embrace. When they finally pulled back for a breath of air, Hermione said, "I always start what I mean to finish." She left a stunned Severus in her wake as she finished her walk to her friends'.

* * *

Three heads ducked from the window. Ariadne grinned at her Aunt and Uncle and said, "That is why the way Josephine got you two together will work."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

I know I originally said that the sorting would be this chapter, but the muse demanded this instead. Let me know how you like it. :)


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight** - _Plans and surprises_

_

* * *

_After lunch, with several suspicious glances shared between the conspirators, Severus, Hermione, and Ariadne went back to the castle. As Ariadne ran ahead, Hermione called to her, "Stay out of the Great Hall!"

Ariadne looked back and said, "I will. I'm going to go see Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry!"

As she watched her daughter run off, she heard Severus's laughter behind her. She turned to look at him and asked, "What's so funny?"

One of the corners of Severus s mouth twitched as he said, "Never thought that any child of mine would be calling the Potters 'Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny'." He let his gaze wander over the grounds and said, "Mr Weasley was a good replacement for Hagrid. These are the best the grounds have looked since the end of the war."

Hermione took her time to scan the grounds, surprised to see the only signs that a battle had been fought on the grounds were a few trees with chunks of the trunks missing. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, catching the scents of the wildflowers and the lake. She felt the slight breeze caress her face and the sun warm her skin. When she opened her eyes, Severus was standing in front of her, searching her features for something. She searched his face in turn and breathed a sigh of relief when she found what she was looking for. "You found it too."

Severus asked, "What was it I found?"

Hermione smiled and said, "Peace."

* * *

Ariadne was out of breath by the time she reached her relatives quarters. As she stood there trying to catch her breath, her Uncle Harry came out. She smiled at him and said, "Hello, Uncle Harry." When he replied in kind, she said, "I have a plan I need your help with."

Harry stood there speechless as she rattled off the details that she and Reyna had come up with. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "You do realize that I could just go tell Hermione and Snape your plan."

"But you won't. Not after you see them together when they think no one is watching. They look like you and Aunt Ginny when you kiss." Ariadne placed her hands on her hips and continued, "My dad looks happy when she's with him. The happiest I've ever seen him, happier than when he s deducting points!"

"Well then, by all means, we must get them together," said a voice from the doorway.

Ariadne ran to her aunt and threw her arms around her middle and hugged her tightly. She looked up at her aunt and said, "I knew you would understand, Aunt Ginny."

"Of course I would, it takes Harry here a little bit of convincing, that's all." She smiled at her grumbling husband before turning back to her niece. "Now you go get ready! You want to look your best, don't you?"

Ariadne smiled as she went to her new room. Now all she had to do was wait to get sorted and go from there.

* * *

_'Breathe, just breathe_,' Ariadne thought to herself as she stood in line, waiting to be sorted. The house elves had outdone themselves, causing the Great Hall to sparkle and shine like she had never seen it. She searched for Thomas, hoping he wasn't too far behind her. There were five students between them, but she could see Thomas give her an encouraging smile. She returned her gaze to the front, where Deputy Headmistress Vector was slowly reading the names off her list. She was suddenly in the front and waited for James Royce to slide off the stool. Professor Vector smiled and called out, "Ariadne Snape!"

Ariadne stepped onto the dais and climbed onto the stool. She settled her robes across her lap and waited as the Sorting Hat was placed upon her head. A voice seemed to invade her mind, saying, "Ah never thought I would see the day when another Snape would come to Hogwarts'. Hmm... most definitely your father's daughter, but I can see a spark of your mother here as well... Can't put you in either of those houses..."

Ariadne about jumped off the stool and asked, "What do you mean I can't be put in either of those places?! I was told I would make a good Slytherin."

She could feel the smirk in her mind as the hat proclaimed, "Ravenclaw!"

Silence spread over the Great Hall, followed shortly after by a loud cheer coming from the Ravenclaw table. She could hear the hat whisper into her ear, "You might have done well as a Slytherin, but you will thrive as a Ravenclaw."

She slid off the stool and walked quietly to the Ravenclaw table. She looked at the smiling faces and realized what the hat was saying. She would have been ridiculed as a Slytherin due to her father's reputation; here the Ravenclaws would accept her as she was and have no prejudices. She smiled back and looked for Josie. Josie was Head Girl this year and now a fellow housemate. Josie waved her over to where she was sitting and they both watched Thomas sit on the stool and waited for his house to be called.

Josie smiled at her and whispered, "I'll be surprised if he doesn't end up in Hufflepuff."

Ariadne giggled as the hat barely touched Thomas's head before it called out, "Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuffs as well as all of Thomas's family and friends let out a whoop of joy. Thomas had almost always wanted to be a Hufflepuff when he heard that his mother would have been one, had she gone to Hogwarts'.

With the last student sorted, Severus stood and began to make the announcements. "This year's Head Boy is Alexander Smith of Hufflepuff and Josephine Tremont of Ravenclaw. The Forbidden Forest is off limits. I do not want to have to send owls to parents this year." A few giggles could be heard before he continued, "We have a new Professor of Potions. I would like to introduce Professor Granger."

Hermione stood and took in the sea of faces. She gave a small reassuring smile and sat down. At the other end of the table, Ron, Harry, and Ginny began refining the plan Reyna and Ariadne had begun earlier in the day. Hermione and Severus would never know what hit them.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

**2nd Note:  
**Sorry it took so long to get this out. I had gotten so far... then BAM! writer's block. Hope this didn't disappoint. :)


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**—_Potions and Charms_

* * *

The conspirators decided amongst themselves that over the Christmas holiday would be the best time to put their plan in action. So, the adults monitored the children to make sure the plan wouldn't be given away; and the children watched Hermione and Severus to see if something further had blossomed. Ariadne had been watching her parents on the weekends when she would spend time with them. While they were out in public, her parents were nothing short of professional; however, once they adjourned to their quarters, she caught them looking longingly at each other.

For Hermione, she was glad to have someone to rant to when cauldrons blew up and pandemonium would break out. She started to adopt Severus's high-handed approach to teaching Potions, her students catching hell when they didn't follow directions to the letter. Her nieces and nephews quickly spread the word that she was not one to mess with, which the seventh year Slytherins learned one day.

* * *

A puff of smoke wafted through the room as a Mr Davies placed a newt tail in his potion several minutes before it was supposed to be. Hermione quickly cast a Bubble-head Charm on each of her students and cast charms to dissipate the fumes. She cast stasis charms on all the cauldrons before turning to the student. "Mr Davies, what went wrong?" When the arrogant boy said nothing, she very quietly said, "You will answer me, or you will serve a detention with me."

Davies struck a pose—his hands on his hips and his nose in the air—and said, If you didn't have chicken scratch for writing, I might be able to tell you what went wrong."

Hermione's mouth formed a straight line and turned to Josie. "Miss Tremont, is my writing illegible?" When Josie answered in the negative, Hermione turned to a Slytherin prefect in the rear of the room and asked, "Miss Gardener, is my handwriting illegible?" When Gardener answered in the negative, Hermione turned to Davies and said, "Two esteemed members of the classroom seem to have no trouble reading my handwriting. I must draw the conclusion that you thought it was acceptable to cause a disturbance in my classroom."

She strode over to her desk and heard Davies mumble under his breath, "Yes, Professor Snape."

A few gasps and giggles could be heard after his statement. Hermione turned and grinned at the class at large something Josie knew wasn't a good thing after getting to know Hermione away from class and said, "Glad to know I can entertain you all." She vanished the contents of the board and said, "Since a few of you seem to find this funny, two feet on the dangers of adding newt tails too soon." She dismissed the class and as they were leaving she added, "By the way, eighty points from Slytherin for class endangerment, cheek toward a professor, and for inappropriate behavior in a serious setting."

As Miss Gardener passed, Hermione quietly said, "Ten points to Slytherin for honesty, Miss Gardener." She then turned to Josie and said, "Ten points to Ravenclaw for honesty, Miss Tremont."

* * *

By the next morning, word had quickly spread of Professor Granger's intolerance of stupid behavior as well as her penchant to reward good behavior. Word also spread of how livid the new Head of Slytherin house was at the massive point loss; she made the Headmaster look like a pushover.

By that evening, Severus and Hermione settled into chairs and discussed the day s events. Severus chuckled as Hermione told him of Ariadne's relief not to be a Slytherin at hearing of the Head's temper. "She told me, 'Thank goodness that the hat knew what it was doing!' I had to fight to keep a straight face." She gave a small chuckle. She took a sip of the tea Severus seemed to keep close at hand these days and said, "I'm still going to keep an eye on her. She still has far too many Slytherin qualities to ignore."

It was Severus's turn to smile. He took a sip of his tea and stared at the fire. He had heard about how well she had been handling her classes from the Slytherin Head of House as well as from the professors who would pass through her classroom. For the first time in years, he knew his school would run smoothly; inter-house rivalries were now of the good-natured variety. For the first time in a long time, the winner of the House Cup last year had been Hufflepuff. He turned to Hermione and asked, "When are we going to finish what you started?"

Hermione blushed and was glad Ariadne was sleeping in Ravenclaw Tower. She turned to him and said, "I think this summer would be a good time."

Severus reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand and said, "I can't wait." He leaned over the arm of his chair and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He could feel her slowly melt into him and wished that the summer could come faster.

Hermione pulled away from him, a little breathless from the kiss. She gave him a small glare and said, "You promised. We were going to wait."

Severus smirked and said, "You never said small gestures of affection weren't a part of the promise. I don't see how anyone could find out about it."

Hermione gave him a look and said, "We are taking our time to see where this goes; behaving like regular adults." Severus opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "I know that regular adults don't live together or have nosey children together, but we just have to make do." She smiled at him and had to stifle the urge to giggle at the face he was making at her.

He turned back toward the fire and said, "As much as I dislike it, I have to admit that you are right." He let a small sigh pass his lips and said, "Especially with a child like ours and friends like yours."

She reached for his hand and gave it a small squeeze. She softly said, "As hard as this will be, it will make us sure of our feelings for each other."

* * *

Somewhere near the edge of the grounds, Ron and Reyna sat on a blanket looking at the stars. He had been watching her, waiting for her to come out of her trance. He watched her eyes clear and said, "What did you see, Rey?"

Reyna just smirked and said, "We will all be surprised when Christmas comes."

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

**Another Note:  
**Don't know where the ending came from only that the Muse demanded it. Next chapter will show more of the family settling into a pattern. :)


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any part of that franchise...excepting my books and the DVDs on my shelf. **

* * *

**Chapter Ten** - _In a Snit_

After her Friday afternoon classes, Ariadne climbed the stairs to the Headmaster's Quarters, where she was to spend her weekend. She grumbled to herself the unfairness of having to spend her weekend doing homework while the rest of the students got to goof off. She sighed and mumbled the password to the gargoyle and climbed the rest of the way up. She entered the office and nodded at her father as she headed to her room.

Severus pulled his reading glasses off his face and stared after his daughter. She seemed a little down today and her kitten was given the go ahead to make the move to the tower. He rose from his desk and moved toward her door. When he was within ten feet, he stopped and tried to put himself in her shoes then realized that he couldn't. He went to the fireplace and put a handful of floo powder in and called out, "Ginevra Potter's quarters!" He poked his head through the fire and searched for Ginny. He spotted her near the fireplace, lightly dozing in an armchair. He had been kept abreast at how difficult her pregnancy had been, which is why he hadn't asked her about things until now.

She sleepily blinked her eyes and asked, "What can I do for you, Severus?" She stretched and pulled her throw higher on her shoulders.

He cleared his throat and said, "I need some advice about Ariadne. She seems to be... I'm not exactly sure how to say this."

"She's having a snit." Ginny wiggled in her chair a little bit and continued, "She's being a bit ungrateful and has worked herself into a snit." She saw a worried look come over Severus face. "Oh, don't worry. Just give her some time alone and she'll be fine." She smiled at him and said, "She picked that habit up from Harry, I'm afraid. When they would both get that way, I'd throw them a 'pity party' and force-feed them cake until I got a smile from one of them."

Severus found himself smiling at the image of the redhead forcing cake on both his daughter and Potter. "I'm sorry I didn't ask advice sooner, but I didn't want to cause you any undue worry in your condition. May I offer my congratulations?"

Ginny smiled at him and answered, "Thank you." She placed a hand on her abdomen and said, "I never thought I would have a chance to experience this. All the time before and after Ariadne... I was afraid to hope any more." She then asked him how he and Hermione were getting along.

Severus gave a small smirk and said, "We have our moments. Usually when she starts yelling at me to stay out of her classroom while class is going on."

"She yells at you in front of the students?" Ginny stifled a yawn and said, "That doesn't sound like her."

The dark man chuckled and said, "She waits until the students have left before reading me the riot act." What he didn't tell Ginny is that he'd rile the brunette up so he could steal passionate kisses from her when he felt it had been too long since they had shared any affection. This weekend he was going to have to be on his best behavior and not slip up in front of Ariadne, but he knew Hermione would have the same problem. "I better let you go, Ginny. Hermione will be returning soon." He heard Ginny give her goodbyes as he pulled himself out of the fireplace to find Hermione standing a few feet behind him. He smiled up at her and asked, "Is there something you needed, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded as she tucked the vision of Severus talking to Ginny in the back of her mind. She smiled back at him and answered, "It can wait."

Severus watched the color of her irises darken and knew what she was thinking of. He quickly stood and crossed the distance between them. He quickly looked around the room to make sure Ariadne wasn't around before stealing a kiss from Hermione. She grabbed at his robes and held him in place as she lengthened the kiss. Severus moaned as Hermione's tongue entered his mouth and knew if they didn't stop shortly, their daughter would be getting a show. He pulled away and rested his forehead against her's and tried to slow his breathing. He looked down and was happy to realize Hermione was as breathless as he was. He drew in a breath and said, "Are you sure we have to wait until summer? I think we're ready now."

Hermione smiled at him and said, "No, we're not. We actually have to get to know one another, outside of the chemistry we share." She loosened her hold on his robes and took a few steps back. "We were too hasty last time, and I want to make sure. I want you bad enough to be willing to wait."

He stepped in and whispered in her ear, "You want to be sure of both our feelings on the off chance we have another child." Severus pulled away and said, "I agree with you, but I'm going to need to be constantly assured of your affections. Once this summer comes, no more hiding."

Hermione agreed and watched as a door opened on the outside of her vision. Ariadne was standing there with a smile on her face. "I feel better now. Can we go get my kitten?"

* * *

**AN:**_ Well, the muse hit today and I was finally able to finish this :) Next time, we'll see what Ariadne may or may not have overheard and a talk between 'cousins'_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**: _Plots and __Conspirators_

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_**AN:** Ta-da! I know it's been a long time coming, but with RL and writer's block happening, it took a long time to finish this chapter. I think (now) that this story will be wrapping up soon. There's only three or four chapters left, followed by the epilogue. I plan to be done with this story by the end of the year unless something comes up._

* * *

The next weeks passed without much change. Ariadne spent every other weekend in the Headmaster's suite and stayed the rest of the time in Ravenclaw Tower, thriving in her classes and in her new friendships. Her kitten, a black and white spotted thing she named Septimus, could be seen following her around after her classes. She also made sure to see her Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry on occasion, knowing that while the transition had been fairly smooth, she still needed to talk to them when she couldn't confide in her new parents.

Her parents, on the other hand, were beginning to have issues trying to conceal their relationship from prying eyes. While the strain seemed to add an exciting element to the relationship, there were times they wished they didn't have to hide their feelings from others. If Severus and Hermione had known how their relationship was an open secret shared by their friends, they probably wouldn't have fallen into the trap about to be sprung.

* * *

The Friday before the Christmas holiday was to begin, the conspirators met in the Potters' set of rooms, trying to get the story straight and wondering how they were going to catch the lovebirds off guard.

Josie, who had been almost reluctant to trick one of her favorite professors, said, "I honestly think it should be something simple. The more elaborate the plan, the more likely it is to fall apart."

Reyna snatched a biscuit from one of the trays that had been prepared for their gathering. She savored it and thought about what Josie had said. "I have to agree. The way she got me and Ron in the closet was by saying she was sure she had seen her toys in that closet and she wasn't going to leave until she got them. She proceeded to have a tantrum until we gave in and closed the door behind us." Reyna absently stroked her abdomen, feeling her child kick with enthusiasm. "It wasn't until we heard the lock click and heard her giggle, that we knew we had been set up."

"Well, Ari isn't five. If she was to throw a tantrum, I don't think either Snape or 'Mione will fall for it." Ron grabbed for a biscuit, only to have his wife smack his hand. Reyna had been on a kick limiting his sweets.

"I have an idea."

The adults looked at Eleanor. The little sprite had just turned seven before school had begun, and looked a lot like her Aunt Ginny. She climbed up into her daddy's lap and asked, "You wanna help Aunt Hermione and Uncle Severus get together like Aunt Josie helped you, right?"

Ginny smiled at her niece. "What's your idea, Elly?"

A grin promising a lot of mischief crossed the little girl's face. "We're going to have a Christmas party in the Room of Requirement because Aunt Ginny can't go anywhere. And when they go to set up… Bam!" She clapped her hands together. "We'll lock them inside until Christmas."

Josie tapped her chin as she thought about it, trying to find any holes in the plan. When she couldn't, she ruffled her niece's hair. "Apparently those mischief genes didn't go to waste on you." She grabbed out a spare piece of parchment to cement their plans.

"Harry should bring it up to Hermione, and she'll find some way to drag Snape into it." Ginny stretched a little bit. She had been confined to bed rest since September and knew Hermione would take sympathy on her friend. "If she balks at moving me, remind her that a change of scenery will do me good, and since it would be unrealistic for me to go to the Burrow, the closest thing would be the Room of Requirement."

"So when are we going to set this plan in motion?" Josie looked up from what she was writing. "I know it should be soon, but we don't want them gone for long." She looked down at her list of preparations and added, "I think we should let Professor Flitwick know what is going on. He is the Deputy Headmaster, after all."

"He already knows." Reyna snatched another biscuit and didn't say anything as Ron snatched one. "I told him what we were planning ages ago. It always helps to cover all the possible bases we can before hand."

"I think on we should do it on the twenty-third. That way we can let them out by Christmas and figure out what we want the room to do." Josie grabbed a biscuit for herself and thought for a moment. "Isn't that the day students go home for the term?"

"That makes it even more perfect." Reyna smiled to herself and added, "It also gives us less time to mess it up by over thinking it."

* * *

Over the weekend, Harry approached Hermione and let her know of the plan to have Christmas in the Room of Requirement so Ginny could partake in some of the festivities. "She's been holding up really well so far, but I know how disappointed she is that she can't go to the Burrow. I thought maybe you and Snape could help with the decorations."

"I would love to help, I just don't know if Severus would." Hermione knew she could possibly convince Severus to help, but I would take a lot of persuasion on her part.

"Just tell him that we want to celebrate Christmas as a family." Harry knew he was pushing it, but if he couldn't get her to bring Severus, the plan wouldn't work. "It's only going to be us; Ron, Reyna, and the kids; and hopefully you and Snape if he's worried about crowds."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try to get him to come." She wrapped Harry in a hug and asked, "Have I told you how happy I am for you and Ginny lately?" She pulled away and smiled at him. "I know I haven't said it lately, but I am really happy for the two of you."

Harry smile back at her and said, "We plan on it happening on Monday after the students leave for the holiday. I figure you and Snape can meet me and Ron up there to set up and the others will be up afterward."

Hermione nodded and said, "I'll let Severus know."

Harry watched Hermione walk away and breathed a sigh of relief. Part one of their plan had gone off without a hitch. As long as both of them showed up on Monday, their plan could go off without a hitch.


	13. Chapter 12

**_AN:_**_ Surprise! I have another chapter here for you to read. I'm almost certain that this will be finished in 2 more chapters with an epilogue to follow. I had fun writing this chapter and I hope you have just as much fun reading it :)_

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**Chapter Twelve **_– Traps and Letters_

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The weekend passed in a blur of activity, allowing the conspirators to finish up their plans and to figure a way to trap Hermione and Severus. Once or twice, Ron looked to his wife to make sure there were no holes in their plans and when she only smiled at him, he felt better.

Now it was Monday afternoon and the last of the children had been safely bundled and returned to their homes. Luckily for the conspirators, the only children remaining were the ones who lived at the castle full-time. Harry led Ron, Hermione, and a reluctant Severus to the Room of Requirement to set up the decorations of the "party". Unknown to Severus and Hermione, a trap was going to be built into the room.

As Harry walked back and forth in front of the door, Ron kept the other two distracted by showing them pictures of a sonogram Reyna had had at a Muggle hospital. As he showed the picture of his future daughter, Harry asked the room to help him complete his plans. The door swung open to showcase a room with gold and silver decorations and a tree standing in the center. Harry held onto the handle and said, "You go on ahead. I need to check on Ginny and grab the rest of the decorations."

Ron let Hermione and Severus pass in front of him before he said, "I have to check on the dinner preparations. It should only take me a few minutes." He motioned to a box of decorations. "You can put up the stockings and other things while we're gone."

Severus knew something was going on, but he couldn't quite figure out what. He turned to Hermione to get her opinion, only to find her head first in the box of decorations. He watched as she popped out, stockings in hand and mistletoe in her hair. He didn't notice the door closing as he reached Hermione and started to pull the mistletoe out of her hair. He planted a soft kiss on her nose. "I like to see you happy, my dear."

She smiled up at him, happy to have some alone time with him. "Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I like the decorations and spending time with family." She planted a soft kiss on his lips. "I was lonely in Japan. Harry and Ginny always tried to make me feel like a part of what was going on with them, but it's always better to celebrate in person."

Severus leered at her and said, "It's always better to celebrate in person, even if it has consequences."

She slapped his arm in mock annoyance. While she was glad they had worked through their issues, it was still a sore spot with her sometimes. She looked over his shoulder and saw a small table appear with a piece of parchment on it. She left Severus's side and grabbed the parchment to see if there was anything on it. She noticed different penmanship written on the surface and it wasn't until Severus began reading over her shoulder made any sense.

_Dear Hermione and Severus,_

_ Congratulations! We have decided (on your behalf) to lock you in the Room of Requirement for your own good. If you are reading this, our plan worked and you are locked in until Christmas._

Hermione looked over her shoulder and watched as the colors in Severus's face alternated between paler than normal and red.

_What Ginny means is that we (Ari, Rey, Ginny, Harry and me) decided you needed a push in the right direction. After the kiss we saw before the start of term, we had been hoping that there would have been some sort of an announcement. When none came, we figured that you two were just being stubborn._

Severus snorted at the stubborn comment. They had been cautious, not stubborn.

_While I would like to claim to be the level-headed one of the bunch, I realized from knowing Severus personally that for him to admit his feelings would most likely cause him to have a fit and I didn't want that for you, Hermione. Although you don't like to show it, you are far more fragile than any of the men realize._

_Severus, (this is Harry, by the way) I want you to know that all of this was done with the best of intentions in mind. I would like to let you know that while I was reluctant at first, I warmed up to the idea when I saw the three of you one evening in your apartments. The way you, Mione, and Ari looked like a real family sealed the deal for me. I also know that when the time comes, I know you'll be named Godfather._

Severus put his arms around Hermione and smiled into her hair. "I guess we were wrong not to let them know what was going on."

She shook her head. "No, we were fine. Just because our friends were being nosy, doesn't mean that they needed to know what was going on between us before we even knew what was going on between us."

"Just remember that you said it."

_Mum and Dad, remember when you asked me what I wanted for Christmas and Septimus knocked over the fire poker and made a loud crash? Well, I want a baby brother for Christmas. It doesn't have to happen this Christmas, but to have one next Christmas will be great._

Severus spun Hermione around and asked, "This Christmas or next?"

"Does this mean I get my present early?" She gave him a saucy grin and watched as his eyes darkened in desire. "Or do I have to wait until Christmas morning?"

Severus watched a bed pop into view and saw the room arranging itself to suit its new purpose. While the colors weren't necessarily suited to him, it fit in with the room's previous theme. He scooped his lady up, mostly to hear her squeal in surprise, and deposited her on the bed. "The way I see it, we have two days to really get to know each other." He moved with a grace that belied his age to cover her body with his own. "I intend to spend every minute of how much you mean to me. Reyna was wrong, by the way. I've known how I felt about you for the longest time." He smiled to himself before he added, "When I realized it, I did have a 'fit' as Reyna says."

Hermione giggled from her position under him, causing him to glare at her. "I remember that when I realized my feelings for you, I ruined a potion and Kumada-sensei took me to task for it."

"How many years ago, Hermione?"

She smiled sweetly at him and tried to distract him by peppering his face with kisses, but he would not be persuaded to forget his question. He growled at her, "You will answer my question, Hermione."

"A little over eleven years ago."

"Me too." When he saw a look of confusion passed over her face, he clarified. "Around the first anniversary of Voldemort's defeat, it hit me that I had been an idiot to let you go. I should have said something to make you stay."

"We both know I wouldn't have. I had put off my trip for years by that point."

He traced invisible lines on her face with his index finger. "I know, but I would have gotten permission to show you that there was more to me under the surface." He smiled as he watched her face relax into the type of smile she had worn on her face earlier. He softly kissed her, trying to recapture the mood from earlier. His hands roamed over her body, seemingly remembering how she had felt the first time. As she moaned his name, he set to the serious task of showing her just how much he loved her.


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: I had origanally planned to finish this story in time for Christmas 2010, but real life and _a lot_ of work happened. Here's a short chapter, with hopefully more to follow ~C9**

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**Chapter Thirteen**_ - Bedtime_ "So what do you think they're doing now?" Ron asked his wife as he spooned with her later that evening.

Reyna scooted into his side and grabbed his right hand before placing it on her abdomen. She sighed as she felt the child inside kick against her father's hand. As she settled down for sleep, she asked him, "What would we be doing if we had two whole days to ourselves?"

Ron blushed bright red and mumbled to himself, causing his wife to giggle. He cleared his throat and said, "I know what we would do, but what do you think they would do?"

She smoothed the skin on the top of his hand in an effort to comfort him. "I think once certain things are taken care of, Severus and Hermione are going to have a long talk about what's going to happen from here on out."

He nuzzled her neck and joked, "You mean the talk Josie made us skip over?"

She rolled over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. She smiled up at him and told him she loved him before falling asleep.

***************

"Thomas."

Thomas turned in his bed to look at Ariadne, who was laying in the bed next to his. He heaved out a sigh and asked, "What is it, Ari?"

"Do you think they'll still like me when the baby comes?"

Thomas pushed himself up on his elbow. He used his other hand to wipe some of the sleep from his eyes and asked, "Huh? Who are you talking about?"

Ariadne sat up and brought her knees to her chest. "You know; Harry and Ginny; Hermione and Severus. What if they decide they don't like me any more?"

"Ari, doesn't my mom still like you?" When she nodded, he continued, "It will be the same for you and them. Besides, you and I will have too much homework to worry about babies."

Ariadne watched Thomas turn over and fall back to sleep. She stared straight ahead and wondered, for the first time, if her plan was going to work out like she had hoped.

***************

Ginny was sitting in front of the fireplace when Harry found her. She was in a chair quietly knitting booties, occasionally pausing to hear if she had woken her husband up. As he approached her chair, she said, "A full hour; I think that's a new record."

"A new record for what?" He went to sit in his chair and watched as she tried to hide what she was making.

"For letting me out of your sight." She tucked her knitting next to her and hoped he hadn't seen what she was making. She was hoping that she could keep it a surprise a little longer.

"I take it that you're trying to hide my Christmas present?" When all she did was give him a blank stare, he said, "That would be the only reason you would hide what you are working on from me."

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "I'm not telling you whether or not it's part of your Christmas present. What I am going to tell you is that Ari is having issues about not being an only child for too much longer."

Harry rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What do you mean? She's thrilled that we're having a baby and that Severus and 'Mione are getting together."

Ginny sighed and shifted in her chair, attempting to find a more comfortable position. "Harry, I love you, but you can be dense at times." She watched him sputter for a moment before she said, "While she's been gung-ho on this plan, any time mine or Reyna's pregnancies are brought up, she suddenly finds some thing else to do or some place else to be."

"Why hasn't she said anything to anyone?" He tilted his head back and let out a small exhalation of breath.

"She thinks that any little upset will cause me to miscarry." Ginny wiped away a tear. "I hate that she was there when I miscarried the last one."

Harry stood up from his seat and walked over to his wife. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before picking her up and carrying her to bed. When she began to protest, he simply said, "Time for bed." He placed her on her side of the bed, making sure to cover her up before he moved over to his side. He climbed in and spooned behind her. "I know everything is hard now, but I promise it will be better once the baby comes and everything gets settled."

Ginny sniffled a little before she said, "I'm glad that you came into my life, Harry." She clutched his hand tightly and said, "I think that you are the only person who can see the light of the end of the tunnel and manage to make it so."

He pulled her tighter to him and smiled into her hair. "I think it's the scar. People see it and are more than willing to make my every wish come true."

Ginny giggled and answered, "I think you may be right." A few more giggles escaped before she drifted off to sleep.

***************

In the Room of Requirement, the occupants weren't going to sleep like every one else in the castle. They were spending some much needed time together.

Severus watched Hermione's eyes glaze over in pleasure as he touched her skin in soft slow strokes, teasing her as he traced the shadows cast on her skin from the fireplace. He listened as her breathing caught in her throat and watched as her body moved of its own accord. He lowered his face next to hers and asked, "Do you believe me now?"

She turned her face to the side to try to capture his lips with her own. When he proved elusive, and chuckled at her plight, she answered, "I believed that you loved me long before now." She wriggled out from under him and stretched in an effort to catch him off guard. When he just sat there admiring her form, she tackled him and straddled his waist. She smiled down at him and said, "I think that it is my turn to express my feelings."

Twin moans sounded the air as Hermione moved to show Severus how much he, and their alone time, meant to her. 


	15. Chapter 14

_**AN:**__ This is the final chapter of 'Our Child'. I thought long and hard about this and decided that this was the best way to end it. Some people may not be happy with it, but I am and I can only hope that you enjoy this._

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**Chapter** **Fourteen **_- Christmas_

In his opinion, Christmas morning had come too early for Severus's liking.

He would have liked to spend a few more days alone with his beloved, but knew that he needed to spend time with his daughter and the Potters and Weasleys, whether he wanted to or not; and they would be opening the door shortly. Keeping this thought in mind, he crawled out of bed, careful not disturb Hermione, and searched under the tree the house elves had set up the night before for the gift he had picked out for Hermione.

"What are you doing?"

Turning around, Severus realized he hadn't been near as stealthy as he had hoped. Hermione sat perched at the end of the bed, covered in only a sheet and looking sleepy. Severus rose and walked over to the bed, handing Hermione the small box as he stopped in front of her. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I was retrieving your Christmas present." As he watched her open the small box, he added, "I know we hadn't planned on making a formal announcement, but I think that this will answer quite a few questions your friends will plan on asking."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him before looking inside the box. Inside the velvet lined box was a small diamond in a platinum setting along with a chain so she could wear it on her neck when she had Potions classes to teach. She looked up at him and murmured, "Oh, Severus, it's perfect." She pulled the ring out of the box and placed it on her left ring finger. She pulled him close and said, "Best Christmas present ever," before she kissed him then got up to get ready for the day.

A few hours later found Severus surrounded by a small contingent of his daughter's extended family. He was surprised that no one had either noticed or remarked on Hermione's new ring. Well, Reyna might have, but she could be sneaky when she wanted to. It wasn't until he was sitting back and enjoying some spiced cider that Ariadne noticed the ring.

Ariadne grabbed her mother's hand and examined the ring. She was still for a moment before she asked, "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think that I asked your mother to marry me this morning, then the answer is yes." Severus ignored the surprised looks everyone was giving him and took another sip of his cider. "Why are any of you surprised? You put us together in this room."

Hermione made a face at him. "I think they're surprised that we got engaged. I'm fairly certain that only Reyna and Ariadne were expecting this step." She gathered Ariadne into a hug when she saw her daughter was a little shocked. "I know this might seem fast, but your father and I had originally decided to wait until this summer to announce our plans. We also decided that we wanted to talk to you about what this could mean for you. I know pregnant women make you nervous," at this she gathered Ariadne a little tighter to her, "and Ginny has told me why. I want you to know that you have nothing to worry about."

She relaxed her embrace and slipped the gold band off her right hand, holding it between her thumb and forefinger, and showed it to Ariadne. "I had just started up my apprenticeship with Kumada-sama and was having... difficulties concentrating on the task at hand. He suggested that I get a tangible reminder of the thing that was causing me difficulty concentrating. That day I went out and bought this ring, something that could be special to me and be in my sight all the time."

Ariadne grasped the ring and touched the worn surface. "What's this supposed to remind you of?"

Hermione slipped the ring onto Ariadne's thumb. "It was to remind me that I had done the right thing and given you the best chance you could have. That you were somewhere with people who loved you, even if I couldn't be." She wiped away the tears that were slowly making their way down Ariadne's face. "I don't need it anymore, so I want you to have it. I want it to remind you that you are our child and that Harry, Ginny, Severus, and I are your parents and nothing can change that."

After the conversation at Christmas, Ariadne seemed to have a weight lifted off her shoulder and became excited to help both Ginny and Reyna get things ready for their new arrivals.

The week before Valentine's Day treated the Great Hall to Reyna suddenly laughing then trying to get Ron to leave his pudding to take her to the hospital wing. When he dallied, she announced to the room that she was in labor and would meet him there when he was finished. The speed he moved at when it finally clicked what was happening caused the entire room to erupt with laughter.

When Ginny finally went into labor, it was a much less public affair. The Weasley clan gathered outside the hospital wing and played games as they waited for news. Just before Harry came out to tell everyone the good news (mum and babies, Callista and Ryan, were healthy) Hermione handed little Amelia to Severus and told him that he needed to practice holding a baby.

Christmas Eve morning dawned with Hermione yelling for Severus and Ariadne. Once Hermione was settled, Severus sent his patronus notifying Ginny and Harry that the baby was one the way and asking them to come sit with Ariadne.

A few minutes after midnight on Christmas Day, Severus brought out the newest member of the Snape clan. He walked over to where Ariadne was sitting and showed her how to hold the baby. Once she was cooing over the baby, Severus said, "I hope Orion is the last elaborate Christmas present you ask for. I don't think your mother is up to the task of doing anything so elaborate anytime soon."


End file.
